The Oral Microbiome across Oral Sites in Cats with Chronic Gingivostomatitis, Periodontal Disease, and Tooth Resorption Compared with Healthy Cats

Abstract

Feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS) is a chronic mucosal and gingival inflammatory disease in which pathogenesis remains unclear. Interactions between the host inflammatory process, the host immune response, and the oral microbiome are implicated in this pathogenesis. To begin to understand this disease and the impact of the microbiome to host inflammatory disease states, we collected sterile noninvasive plaque biofilm samples from ten distinct sites within the oral cavity in cats with stomatitis (n = 12), healthy cats (n = 9), and cats with tooth resorption or periodontitis (n = 11). Analysis of full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the microbiomes of cats with FCGS presented marked dysbiosis at multiple oral sites. Additionally, microbiome beta diversity varied with oral condition, indicating that stomatitis, periodontitis, and/or tooth resorption influence the microbiome differently. Lastly, we found that the microbiomes of swabs taken from the oral cavity were comparable to those taken from plaque using endodontic paper points, validating this as another sampling method. Collectively, our work furthers our understanding of the dysbiosis and composition of bacteria in the oral microbiome in FCGS, with hopes of contributing to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of this challenging condition in felines.

Feline Chronic Gingivostomatitis Diagnosis and Treatment through Transcriptomic Insights

“…When comparing signaling pathways with treatment outcome, a distinct difference in the mechanism by which extractions and mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) therapy led to a response became apparent. Extraction treatment may lead to a change in the microbiome of affected patients by eliminating the subgingival compartment as a potential source of chronic antigenic stimulation [ 10 , 11 , 28 ]. Of great relevance, eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (EIF2) signaling showed a marked induction in patients that responded to extraction.…”

“…This may lead to differences in candidate genes or alleles that additional studies may find due to differences in population sub-structures. Nonetheless, there is strong evidence to support this disease having an infectious component in at least modulating disease progression [ 4 , 7 , 10 , 11 , 28 ] that can be explored in future studies that include the microbiome component of the tissue in cases and controls. The findings reported here contribute to our understanding of this complex disease and may pave the way for more targeted and effective therapeutic approaches in the future.…”

“…Despite its potential significance in disease manifestation, there is no currently available commercial test for PFFV. Furthermore, data supporting microbiome shifts in various niches of the oral cavity of FCGS-affected cats support the potential of microbiome markers of disease that could have diagnostic and prognostic significance [ 10 , 11 ]. The availability of a symptom monitoring scheme and some clinically available viral testing provides clinicians with much needed data for the development of a treatment plan, but the lack of more robust methods for the prediction of treatment response and disease development reduces patient outcomes and leaves a noticeable diagnostic gap.…”

Probiotics and Cat Health: A Review of Progress and Prospects

“…The oral diseases of cats are divided into inflammatory and tumorous types. The former include periodontitis, tooth resorption, chronic gingivitis, and other conditions [ 35 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 ]. Periodontal disease is very common in domestic cats, characterized by the loss of periodontium such as gums, alveolar bone, periodontal ligaments, and dental cementum, culminating in tooth loss.…”

Epidemiological investigation of feline chronic gingivostomatitis and its relationship with oral microbiota in Xi’an, China

“…Stomatitis is the general term for oral mucosal inflammation, a common oral disease in cats; its incidence is second only to that of periodontal disease and is described as a proliferative and ulcerative inflammation of the oral cavity ( 1 ). Feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS) is a chronic disease typically affecting the palatoglossal folds ( 2 ). Oral pain, loss of appetite, halitosis, salivation, depression and weight loss are some of the clinical signs of FCGS and seriously affect the quality of life of cats.…”